SKY FACE FROOME DECISION

CHRIS FROOME was facing a growing leadership threat from within his own team last night, as the defending Tour de France champion slipped behind Welsh team mate Geraint Thomas on the first real climb in this year’s race. Froome, who crashed on stage one of this year’s Tour, lost a handful of seconds to Thomas on the steep finishing climb of the Mur de Bretagne. Both riders started the race as designated co-leaders but after six days of racing, Thomas is now just under a minute ahead of Froome in the overall standings. ‘It’ll be interesting now to see if Sky back Thomas or Froome,’ rival Richie Porte said afterwards. ‘Everyone was on me so I thought I’d chill and let them do the work,’ Thomas said of the final climb. ‘Dan Martin was super strong so fair play. ‘Unfortunately I couldn’t get a podium there, as I’d have had enough seconds to get the jersey.’ Thomas, recent winner of the Criterium du Dauphine stage race in the French Alps, grabbed two bonus seconds during the stage and said that he felt that ‘everyone will be watching me now’. ‘I got away with it twice, I don’t think I could get away with it a third time,’ he admitted. ‘It was more just going for it because I saw the opportunity.’ The Welsh rider has long been a dutiful understudy to Froome, and despite co-leadership status appears to be in the best form of his career. He has also displayed a greater talent than four-time Tour de France champions Froome for racing on the dreaded cobblestone roads that will be at the heart of Sunday’s pivotal stage from Arras Citadelle to Roubaix.